Tomorrow Still Comes
by GF-221b
Summary: AU. teen!NCIS, sex, slash, masturbation, erotic dreams/fantasies, teacher/student romantic relationship, violence, child abuse, homelessness, suicide, & death by abortion. Not for the faint of heart. Pairings due to change. COMPLETE.
1. Mama Who Bore Me

A/N: _Oh, god… Here we go again._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter One: Mama Who Bore Me

~*~

"Mama… where do babies come from?" Abby asked of her mother, who was sitting at her desk in their home in Bedford, Virginia, working on her taxes.

Her mother stared at her for a moment. Where was that young girl who used to ask about things like why the sky was blue? Now her daughter was a rebellious seventeen-year-old, who wore black lipstick and whatever other black things she bought at the mall with her friends: Jenny and Ziva.

"I… honey, didn't you have plans with Jenny and Ziva? They were going to come over and hang out, right? I think I ordered a pizza to be delivered around then…"

"Mama, you're evading the subject. Where do babies come from?" Abby asked again, placing her pale hands on her hips, "It's time I learned."

Abby was home-schooled. Her father was an excellent teacher. Jenny had been kicked out of her home about four years earlier for a lot of reasons, but taught herself all she needed to know. She lived by herself in an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town. Ziva was often at Abby's house anyway, and learned from Mr. Sciuto. Sex-education was not on Mr. Sciuto's 'To Teach' list, nor did Mrs. Sciuto want to go into how babies were made to her daughter. Like, ever.

"Well… A… a woman must… love her husband with all her heart," Mrs. Sciuto lied.

She ruffled her daughter's hair, and went back to work. At that point the doorbell rang and Abby ran to get it.

~*~

Part Two: Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)

~*~

"I don't get why people are so afraid to tell us that. If you love some one with all your heart, somehow you can make a baby…" Abby told Jenny.

Jenny sighed, "I've never been to that part of the library," she confessed, "The librarian, bless her heart, won't let me near that part anyway, so I stay away."

"I wish my mama would have told me…" Ziva said, shyly, "You're parents know so much…"

"Yeah, they do," Abby said proudly, "But I can't help feeling that Mama's not telling me anything…

~*~

… _I am a terrible person. Boys will be introduced next chapter… or Gibbs will, at least. Please read and review, or I won't know if you want me to continue.  
_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	2. All That's Known

A/N: _WTF? I'm STILL working on this one? That's a new record of shamelessness._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter 2: Part One: All That's Known

~*~

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had had enough of school. The boring drone of the teachers, the tests and quizzes… everything. Grant it, he was a whiz at it all, and the teachers loved him. He was mostly worried about his friend, Donald, who was really struggling in classes. Even now, he was falling asleep in the middle of their French class.

Leroy and Ducky, as he was called, went to the only boys' school in town. It was a nice campus and all, but the teachers were strict, and had their rules. No girls on campus, for one, and another, do well, or they would kick you out. That was why Leroy was worried about Ducky…

"Monsieur Mallard, what is the answer to question five?" the teacher asked in fluent French, slamming the book in front of Ducky's face.

"Huh? I'm sorry, Monsieur Le Toux, I didn't—" Ducky started, fully awake now.

"Dans le français, Monsieur Mallard!" Monsieur Le Toux shouted, going back to the front of the class.

"He didn't get any sleep last night, Monsieur Le Toux! Give him a break!" Leroy cried in French, standing to defend his friend.

"Monsieur Gibbs, the welfare of your classmate has nothing to do with you…" Monsieur Le Toux shouted in English.

"It's not fair. You always pick on him!" Gibbs shouted in English.

"Please stop yelling at me or I will have to make you leave the room, Monsieur Gibbs," Monsieur Le Toux said in a low tone.

Gibbs sat back and looked at Ducky, who mouthed a 'thank you' and turned back to Monsieur Le Toux with a sad look on his face.

Gibbs sighed softly. Looking around the classroom he made eye contact with his friends: There was James Palmer, the wacky-haired, shy pianist; Anthony DiNozzo, the smart-aleck, thinks-he's-God's-gift-to-humanity type; and then there was shy little Timothy McGee, sensitive and smart.

Gibbs smiled as his little 'team' and him shared a quick moment before Monsieur Le Toux started them on saying useful French phrases over and over and over again in unison.

"All right… you know your phrases, let's say them as they appear in the book…" he said, flicking his hand and wrist as if he were conducting a symphony.

The boys started: "Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui ?"

_(A/N: If you are intrigued, go translate these by yourself, please.)_

"Je suis parfait et vous ?"

Gibbs knew he was saying the words, but his mind wondered. The chill of winter was wearing off, slowly, and he could see the buds on the branches of the old apple tree out on the front lawn. He saw some girls outside walking away, and recognized them to be Abigail Sciuto, Jennifer Shepherd, and Ziva David. They were walking in unison, swaying their hips… Leroy shook his head, snapped his attention forward, and said the next French phrase:

"Quel est votre nom ?"

"Pouvez-vous le lire à haute voix, s'il vous plaît ?"

_Someday all will be known about how much this isn't helping…_ Leroy thought.

Leroy let his mind wander again as he continued the phrases. The teachers were good at teaching, but there were some things they hadn't gone over in all the years he had been attending. Grant it, Leroy had learned it elsewhere. He could go places with his charm and good looks. He knew about sex. He had often breezed passed poor Jenny, who was barred from entering that part of the library, and just about ravaged every piece of literature on the subject. But Leroy had never had the experience. He had just made up theories and had woven them into his belief system.

In front of him, Ducky's head fell forward again in sleep. This time Monsieur Le Toux didn't notice, because he was too busy conducting the boys in a boring, monotonous symphony:

"Où est les toilettes ?"

Leroy looked at the clock. When he raised his hand, Monsieur Le Toux called on him.

He stared at the flamboyant French teacher point blank and said, in perfect French: "I believe it is time for us to go into break, Monsieur Le Toux."

Monsieur Le Toux deadpanned, almost having a coronary of pure joy right in the middle of the room. His cheeks flushed with happiness as he replied, in English, "Monsieur Gibbs is absolutely right. I will see you all tomorrow. Be ready for the oral test…"

Leroy was the last to leave. He smiled at Monsieur Le Toux as he exited, following his group of friends to the apple tree at the front for some free time before his next class.

~*~

Part Two: The Bitch of Living

~*~

"Thank you so much, Leroy," Ducky said as they sat down in front of the apple tree. It was still cold, so the boys were at least wearing scarves around their necks. The wool jackets of their uniforms were warm enough for outside weather such as this.

Leroy sighed as he looked up into the branches of his favorite tree, "No problem, Duck… but why were you falling asleep in the first place?"

Jimmy, Tim and Tony all sat and looked at Ducky as he sat down. He was the last to finally get comfortable, though as he began his story, he got more and more uncomfortable: "Well, last night I had a dream…"

"Of course you had a dream, Ducky," Tony piped in, his voice smooth and silky, like honey on a hot summer's day.

"But it was… weird. There was a girl in my dream. A goddess, if you will. I watched her bathe in… in a river, but the river was not just water… it was… sweet. And the color and smell of white wine…" Ducky continued, his cheeks reddening.

The boys all inched closer.

"I've been having that dream every night, but I've never actually confronted the bathing woman. Last night I did… and we… I don't know what we did. But she touched me in the most… _pleasurable_ way possible and I woke up. I kept thinking back to that moment in my dream, and I just… couldn't get back to sleep," Ducky continued.

Leroy's eyes widened slowly, "Ducky… you've been having erotic dreams…" he stated slowly.

The boys all laughed, and Ducky's face flushed as he looked down at the frost-bitten grass in front of him.

"All boy's your age get them," Leroy went on, giving the rest of the group a biting look.

All the boys around the circle looked ashamed, except for Leroy Jethro Gibbs, "Oh, my god. There's nothing wrong with having erotic dreams and fantasies, guys!"

The boys looked at each other. Finally, Jimmy spoke, "What if they're about your teacher?"

Leroy shrugged, "Depends. Which one?"

"Ms. Todd… though she lets me call her Kate at our piano lessons…" Jimmy replied, smiling happily as he thought of his youthful teacher, "I think she likes me, as well."

"She is a minx, though," Tony said, smiling as he slipped in and out of his own fantasy.

Leroy nodded, "Nothing wrong with that. She is closest to our age."

Jimmy breathed out slowly, "Yeah… but sometimes my fantasies get…"

"Don't stop talking, Palmer!" Tony said sharply, breathing out quickly.

Leroy shook his head, "I said it was okay to fantasize about this things, guys, but could you tone it down in front of me? No one wants to hear things like that in detail!"

"Speak for yourself," Tony replied, grinning with ecstasy.

"What about you, then, Tim?" Ducky asked, looking at their younger classmate as Tony went off to his own Cloud Nine.

"It's weird… but I've been fantasizing about… Ari Haswari…" Tim said shyly.

Jimmy, Tim's best friend since kindergarten, looked at him in shock for a few minutes, "You're… gay?"

"Yeah… I guess so…" Tim replied. He noticed the boys were staring at him, "I've read up on it… I don't have a crush on _every_ boy out there. Right now I think about Ari touching me in places I'd never been touched before… not like _that_ at least…"

Tony had snapped out of his other fantasy and was staring at the youngest member of his class, "I've thought about Ari like that as well. But then again, I just came out of a wonderful fantasy about me, Jimmy and Ms. Todd. What does that mean?"

Jimmy shivered as his name was said in sequence with a probable threesome with Tony and his piano teacher. Tim looked up at his older classmate shyly and replied, "You're bisexual?"

Tony thought about this for a moment before turning to Leroy, "How about you? You've heard all our sick fantasies. What do you fantasize about?"

"Girls. We used to play pirates together with them. And then school begins and you have no time for play. Then you grow up, and those games of pirates? You wish that they could be replaced by something more pleasurable…"

"So you wish that Jenny would be calling you over to… have sex?" Ducky asked.

"Well… don't you? You, me, Jenny and Abby used to go over to Jenny's house to play pirates, remember? Before the town found out she was being abused and kicked her out into the streets to haul them off to jail…" Leroy reminded him.

"I would like to discuss… sex… further," Ducky said, getting all flustered and embarrassed. The boys all nodded in unison. "Maybe you should write an essay about it, Leroy…"

Leroy thought about it. He was the one in the group who knew the most about the subject matter. He was a fine essayist, and he had the time that night to work on this little project.

"Complete with pictures. You know I don't spend much time in the library, Leroy. I need information on how all this… works," Ducky told him.

Leroy put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll do it, guys, don't worry about it."

~*~

_Shamelessness done. See you next chapter! Oh, and if you could take a moment to review this chapter, that would just help a lot._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	3. My Junk

_A/N: Now for the fun part. Thank you for all your support on this one, and I hope you (kind of) enjoy this chapter._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Three: My Junk

~*~

"So… list the top three boys you'd marry in a heartbeat, Ziva…" Abby told her friend as they stretched out under an oak tree in the local park.

"Well… I really like that boy Timothy… but I think something's a little off in him. I think he might be… you know, gay…" Ziva said, looking at the goth girl with a smile.

"But that marriage might be fun. I mean, you'd never have kids because he won't want to, but you can have one of those marriages where you promise you'll at least be friends…" Jenny told her, "Like, you're only married to get both sets of parents off your back…"

Ziva giggled, "But he's third. My second would be Tony DiNozzo. I think he's only a bit off though. Bisexual, I mean. I guess we could at least have kids in that union…" she giggled before moving on, "My first would be Leroy Gibbs though. He's so handsome… and such a rebel, too."

"O my god, don't get me started on Leroy Gibbs…" Abby put in, "I think he's every girl's first on the marriage scale. Except maybe Jenny… you love your Donald Mallard, don't you?"

"He's so sad…. Like a… like a puppy or something. You just want to take care of someone like that. To love them like no one's loved them before, you know?" Jenny asked. She plucked a daisy from the grass, "Plus I know him. Before you moved here, Ziva, Abby, Leroy, Ducky and I used to run to my house to play pirates. Before I was, you know, kicked out."

"And you'd have a wedding in blue," Abby put in, "With irises and blue pansies… You're dress would be…"

"… just passed my knees, with blue satin flats and a veil made of silk, also in blue," Jenny finished dreamily, "He'd wear a stunning blue dinner jacket and matching pants. The shirt underneath would be lighter blue, with no tie, because I think they must be so uncomfortable to wear…"

"Well… when I marry, I'm going to wear the traditional white dress," Abby stated.

"You? Wear anything other than black and red?" Ziva asked.

"I dressed as Marilyn Monroe in the white dress last Halloween, remember?" Abby asked.

"And let me guess, you'd marry Leroy Jethro Gibbs, wouldn't you?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe…" Abby said, smiling almost wickedly.

Ziva nodded and smiled, "Well… Leroy is so… intelligent. Does he even believe in God?" she asked, fingering the Star of David pendant around her neck.

"I don't think he believes in anything…" Abby confessed.

She lay back to look up at the clouds. Soon Jenny and Ziva joined her on the cool grass.

~*~

"Now, Mister Palmer, warm up while I get you some new sheet music," Miss Caitlin Todd said as she went to her office to get the aforementioned sheet music.

_Oh my God… she's so pretty…_ Jimmy thought as he began playing his scales. Miss Todd entered once more and put some sheet music in front of him.

"This is one of my favorite pieces, Braham's Lullaby. Let's see how well you can sight read, Mister Palmer," Miss Todd said, smoothing the sheet of paper.

She then put a stray lock of Jimmy's brown hair behind his ears and looked into his eyes. It took Jimmy a second to realize that he had just imagined that part. He sighed and turned back to the music. He began to read the notes, and his fingers just flew across the piano. Well, not exactly flew, as it was a slow piece. Miss Todd seemed pleased by her pupil's work.

"Very good, Mister Palmer. But I would like you to work on this piece at home, along with your scales. I believe I will schedule your next recital in two months, and this will be one of the pieces you will perform…" Miss Todd looked at her pupil with a smile, "This will be your 30th performance since you began with me…"

"Will it now?" Jimmy asked, still playing.

"Yes. I still remember when you played 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' at your first recital… when you were eight… remember that?" Miss Todd asked, smiling awkwardly.

Jimmy stopped playing, "Yes, Miss Todd, I remember clearly."

Of course he remembered first meeting Miss Caitlin Todd. The fantasies had started up three years after that, often ending up with Jimmy on the floor of his room, panting in exhaustion. Usually there might have been a jacket in the corner of his mind's eye. Miss Todd often wore a smart suit jacket over a blouse. The blouse would be on the floor too. This was all in his head, of course.

Jimmy wondered if he had secured himself a place in Hell yet. Probably.

Miss Todd was 25 when her mother hired her to take her place so that she could check into a retirement home. Caitlin loved her job, but she most of all loved her star student, Jimmy Palmer. She wasn't sure if she liked the smart young boy in quite the manner he felt for her (she didn't know that last tidbit), but she was worried about it coming to that.

She watched Jimmy meet up with his childhood friend, Tim, at the corner. He waved at her as he pushed Tim in front of him in the direction of their street. She waved back and smiled. "30th performance. No other student of mine wanted to go past the 10th."

~*~

Something dropped out of Tim's book bag as he rushed to pick up Jimmy at his piano lesson. Tim and Tony were part of the boy's choir at the school, so they got out pretty late.

"Wait, Tim…" Tony yelled, but Tim was too far ahead. Tony looked at the piece of paper. It was a cute little picture of Tim and his twin sister, Sarah. _(A/N: I'm taking creative liberties here, people. Tim and Sarah aren't actually twins, I know, I know. You'll see why I did this in a moment._)

He grinned at the picture and tore it in half. He was about to throw away the half with Tim's picture on it, but he thought better of it and placed the two halves into the book he was reading.

Later that night, Tony was in bed reading when he remembered the pictures. He slowly took the one of Sarah out and grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Have you prayed tonight, Sarah McGee? You don't look like your praying, darling." His hand slipped under the elastic band of his boxer shorts.

"When I see you there, just sitting, nothing more, I remember all those lonely nights I've lived with out your company. It's killing me, darling. It rips up my insides and breaks my poor heart in two," Tony continued, both with the physical and verbal, ahem, monologue.

"Darling… you're damn chastity has gotten the best of you. You have to go. You just have to leave now, for you damn chastity is too much for me to bear!" Tony spread his legs and leaned forward. There was a sudden knock on the door and Tony snapped his legs shut and put the picture back in the back of his book. He went back to the page he had been reading, "Yes?"

"Tony? Can I come in?" his mother called softly.

"Of course, Mother," Tony replied.

His mother entered and saw him already in bed, "Oh, well… just popping in to tell you good night…" his mother said.

"Good night, Mother," Tony replied, turning the page.

"Okay… I'll get you up at six, then?" Mrs. DiNozzo asked, peeking in the door once more.

"That would be lovely," Tony replied.

Mrs. DiNozzo smiled and shut his bedroom door. Tony opened to the back of his book and saw that he had placed Sarah's half of the picture under Tim's half. He was about to dig out Sarah's picture again when he stopped and lifted Tim's picture out of the book instead.

"Have you prayed tonight, Timothy?" he asked the picture, once again slipping his hand under the elastic of his boxers.

~*~

_I'm sick. I know. But it will only get worse as we go along. Are you ready?_

_Please review. I get so lonely without feedback._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	4. Touch Me

_A/N: Haha. This chapter should be fun. Just a couple notes: I'm taking so many creative liberties as it is, so just bear with me here. It will all come together later in the story. Otherwise, enjoy yourselves, you sick bastards. (I kid. But I shouldn't be talking. I'm writing this damn thing, aren't I? And I'm enjoying every minute of it. Muahahahaha!)_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Four: Part One: Touch Me

~*~

_Ducky and Leroy:_

"Oh my god, Leroy. I just… ate up that essay of yours!" Ducky shouted once Leroy had slammed the door to his room. It was a Saturday afternoon, and Ducky had seemed almost out of breath when he showed up at Leroy's door.

"Did you now? I only emailed you it last night…" Leroy put two hands on Ducky's shoulders and looked him in the eyes, "When did you go to sleep last night?"

"Your essay is about ten pages! It took me two hours to read thoroughly… and then… and then the dreams came. More vivid, this time with… more… you know…" Ducky replied.

"Ducky…" Leroy tried to calm his friend.

"But, really. Is this true?" Ducky asked, sitting on the bed and showing Leroy the passage (and picture).

Leroy looked and laughed, "Yeah."

"One more thing. How do you know how a woman feels when she… you know… _couples_ with a man?" Ducky asked.

"Put yourself in her shoes, Ducky. Read the section on the female reproductive system again… and pretend… you have one," Leroy replied, getting a little flustered at the question.

Ducky nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what was just said. "You mean you want me to…"

Leroy nodded, "It's the only way you can figure these things out. I helped as much as I could."

"But… I've never touched myself like that!" Ducky shouted, standing abruptly. He strode quickly to the door and bolted out of the house.

Leroy went after him, "Ducky, wait!"

~*~

_Tim:_

Timothy had said his goodbye to Tony at the door of the schoolhouse, but decided not to walk home just yet. Jimmy didn't have a lesson that night, and things at home had gotten a little weird since he had come out. Grant it, it was mostly his mother calling PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and his father reading every piece of literature about gays and lesbians, even some histories on the subject. It was just kind of frightening to come home to his parents being so supportive.

So Tim went to the local park and sat under one of the maples. He sighed to himself lightly as a vision came to him of Ari. He was wearing his waiter's uniform, which is something Tim didn't see everyday, but he looked so very nice in it… Ari came forward toward him and sat in front of him before kissing him deeply. Tim moved into his embrace as they parted, turning his back to the older boy. He allowed Ari to kiss his neck and shoulders. Ari's hands moved down to Tim's belt before Tim noticed that the tan skin had turned pale.

Tim looked sideways to see what the matter was, but instead of Ari, he saw Tony. Tim blinked and stood up quickly, but Tony had disappeared, leaving Tim alone under the maple tree. Tim crossed his arms over his torso and grabbed his bag. It was definitely time to go home.

~*~

_Jenny:_

Jenny was resting her head on the trunk of the tree she had managed to climb up. It calmed her nerves to be in a tree. She was like a cat that way, liking heights enough to actually calm down when she was up a tree or looking into the water on the edge of her favorite bridge. Ziva and Abby had gone home, but Jenny wasn't ready to return to her lonely warehouse just yet.

Jenny leaned back against the soft bark and sighed contentedly. As her eyes gazed out across the sleepy lights of the town, her vision blurred slightly, and a figure formed in front of her. It was that sad, soulful Donald Mallard.

"Hey," she said, sitting up.

He smiled back at her, "Hello, Jennifer."

"Please, call me Jenny. We know each other, remember?" Jenny replied, giggling awkwardly.

He leaned in lose to her suddenly, looking into her hazel eyes like he had lost something in there. She leaned back, almost gasping for breath. She looked back into his sad brown eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and then moved so that his knee was in between her legs on the wide branch underneath them. His other hand caressed her cheek, and moved slowly downwards, slipping under her belt buckle.

Jenny breathed in sharply again, but couldn't contain herself any longer. She wrapped her arms around Ducky and pulled him on top of her. Her arms wrapped around nothing, and she awoke suddenly, pulling herself out of what was nothing but a strangely satisfying dream.

~*~

_Jimmy:_

Jimmy wasn't sure what to think anymore. He couldn't practice the piano, because then the fantasy would become clearer than it was. Miss Todd was standing so close to him. He stopped the CD he had placed in the player and leaned against his headboard. Kate lingered there for a moment, just standing in the doorway. Then her hair fell out of the neat bun that had been at the nape of her neck, and her clothes disappeared, like they were water, falling down her body's curves and touching the ground silently before turning to mist. She walked inches closer to Jimmy's bed, before he breathed in sharply and her naked image disappeared.

~*~

_Ziva:_

Ziva didn't want to go home. So she stayed with Abby that night. While she was sitting on the floor of Abby's room as she waited for her friend to get out of the shower so that they could go for an evening walk together, she had a strange thought:

_What if I were a boy? Would Timothy love me then?_

She lay back to look at the eggshell white ceiling and closed her eyes. When she opened them, her chest was flat, and her hips were straight. Her shoulder-length, Israeli hair was short, and her shoulders were broad. She was wearing the uniform of the boys who went to the local boys' school, where Timothy attended.

_I look like my half-brother, Ari_…

Oh, how she wished he wasn't working late that night. Then she could sleep in his room, and be safe from the horror that she had faced so many times before the move to Bedford…

But she would not think of her sinful father right now, as Timothy McGee was walking out of the schoolhouse to meet her. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

_That's right, I'm a boy now_…

"Hey, Timmy," she said, her voice now deep.

"Hey, Z… how long have you been waiting for me?" Tim asked.

"Only a few minutes… how was choir practice?" Ziva asked.

"Fine… Tony and I were held back to practice our solos, which is why I wasn't out here to meet you… and then I had some trouble getting my stuff into my bag…"

Ziva looked to the schoolhouse, "So… no one's in there?" she asked.

"No… why?" Tim asked.

Ziva shushed him with her mouth, causing him to fall into the grass. She held on to his belt, but he knew what to do. He gently slipped a hand under her belt and into her pants. She gasped lightly and said, sharply, "Oh my god!" before a door slammed outside her fantasy, jolting her back into Abby's room.

"Shall we?" her friend asked, grabbing her jacket off the edge of her bed.

Ziva sighed and nodded, allowing her friend to pull her up by one arm, strangely satisfied with the ending of her daydream.

~*~

_Tony:_

Tony didn't want to go home. He watched as his younger classmate walked out of the choir room and off to pick up Jimmy at his lesson, or something like that. Tony was to busy trying _not_ to jump Tim's bones to really listen to anything his young friend was saying. Something had to be done about this sudden crush on Tim… but not right now…

In his mind's eye, he saw nothing but Timothy. Well… Ari was there, as well, but that was for other reasons. They were both lying on the grass in front of him, Timothy lying on the older boy's stomach. They beckoned him, and Tony followed their voices like a sailor toward a siren's deathtrap. He collapsed on them both, and just lay there, his head in between theirs. He then guided Tim's hand to his belt, and they slowly sat up, as Tim undid the top buttons on his pants. Ari soon joined them in a sitting position, kissing Tony's neck and shoulders before his hand slid down his side and hips to the open fly that Tim provided.

Tony heard a car horn and snapped back to reality. His mother waved from the parking lot, and Tony sighed, walking briskly to the passenger door.

~*~

Part Two: The Word of Your Body

~*~

_Leroy and Abby:_

"Ducky?" Leroy yelled. He swore Ducky had run off this way, past the schoolhouse toward his house. Leroy looked up at his group's apple tree and sighed. Ducky was probably safely at his house by now… but he wouldn't want to go home… not after his last concern note from French class yesterday.

"Ducky!!" Leroy called again, still getting nothing. Then he heard a tiny voice call out: "Ziva?! Not fair! I let you find me in ten seconds flat! This is ridiculous!"

And that's when Abby Sciuto came out of the trees and literally bumped into him, "Whoa, hey… slow down, Abs…" he said.

She smiled, "Well, well, well, Leroy Jethro Gibbs… how have you been?" she asked.

"Just fine… and yourself?" he asked, still clutching her close.

"Great… if you'll unhand me, sir," Abby said.

Leroy nearly dropped her, but she stepped out of his grasp like a wisp of smoke through the trees on a summer night. There was a tense moment of silence before Abby spoke again, "How has school been?" _What if I kissed him?_

"Just fine… how are your parents? And Ziva, I guess… she's always with you, it seems…" Leroy answered. _Her hair… and the moonlight? If only I could just touch it…_

_His hands! They're so big… what do they feel like?_ "They're great. And Ziva has become almost like a sister to me, thanks to them. I don't why she's over so much, but it's been great…" Abby replied. She reached to touch Leroy's hand. Like a long awaited reflex, he grabbed hers gently and held it for a moment.

Abby looked into his eyes for a second, then turned away from him before he could lean down to kiss her. He touched a wisp of her long black hair with his lips before opening his eyes again. _Why do I feel like… oh my god…_

_I can't do _that_! It's… wrong…_

_Oh, my god…_

"I… I have to go find Ziva," Abby said, taking her hand back and slipping it into her pocket. She ran off in the other direction as Leroy watched her.

"Yeah… I have to go… somewhere else…" Leroy replied, to no one in particular. He slipped his hands into his pockets and went on to Ducky's house.

~*~

_A/N: Ack! It's been a while since I did any heterosexual moments! Forgive me. _

_And please, please, PLEASE review. Your feedback is very helpful…_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	5. The Dark I Know Well

A/N: _Oi. And now for some… sensitive stuff. I apologize in advance for this…_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Five: The Dark I Know Well

~*~

"Ducky…" Ducky winced when he saw that both of his parents had been waiting for him to get home. Mrs. Mallard had a piece of paper in her hands, and Mr. Mallard had a pensive look on his face.

"What is it, Mother, Father?" Ducky asked, looking at the floor and hiding the sex essay behind his back.

"We just want to say that your grades came out very well, almost all A's," Mrs. Mallard said, smiling warmly.

"…But Principal Vance just called… and because of your performance in your classes, you'll have to go to a summer class…" Mr. Mallard said seethingly, "What have you been doing at that school of yours? Passing notes to that bastard child Leroy?!"

Ducky faced this rage often, but learned to just listen quietly, and his mother would then take him up to his room, kiss his forehead, and tell him that everything would be all right.

"You are grounded, Donald Mallard, until this summer class is over! You hear me?! I will lock you in that room until you pass that fucking summer class, you hear! Do you hear that, you fucking son of a bitch?"

Mrs. Mallard winced, both at being called a 'bitch' (probably intentionally), and the painful sounding slap that Ducky received from his father.

He grabbed Ducky's collar and dragged him up the steps to his room. Ducky's quiet mother followed them delicately and only watched as Mr. Mallard threw him into the room and slammed the door. Ducky heard the lock on the outside click, and turned to his computer. He sat in front of it and began typing an email to his only adult friend at the moment: Mrs. Gibbs, Leroy's widowed mother.

~*~

The doorbell had rang that morning as Mr. Sciuto was getting ready for that day's lesson in the living room. Abby and Ziva were just coming down as Abby's mother opened the door to Jenny.

"Come in, dear," Mrs. Sciuto said.

Jenny looked at her friends silently and smiled, "I guess I overdressed," she said, glancing at her friends' pajamas. They all laughed and went upstairs to make Jenny feel like one of the group.

After the lesson, the girls went out to the park they always hung out in. They hung out there because it was in between Abby's house and Jenny's little warehouse. They also liked it because it was on a hill overlooking the boy's school, and sometimes they could watch the boys sitting and, sometimes, eating together under the apple tree in front. Jenny and Ziva watched as Abby seemed to remember something when she stared down at the abandoned apple tree… then suddenly she turned to Ziva and asked:

"Why are you always over at my house, Ziva?"

Ziva almost whimpered at the question, remembering how, in Israel, her father… she couldn't tell them. But… they were her friends…

"My father… at night… when Ari isn't home, he… he insists we have sex… and if I don't comply, he hits me and does it anyway… Ari usually takes the fall for me when he's at home, but nowadays he's been working, and he's joining the military next month so… I don't know what I'm going to do…" she said slowly. As she told her story, Jenny and Abby's faces slowly grew horrified.

"Pull those sleeves up, little miss…" Jenny said, and Ziva complied. Her arms were bruised up to her shoulder. Jenny kneeled down and pulled up her pant legs. It was the same up to her thigh. Then Jenny lifted up the back of Ziva's shirt. Still just the same as her arms and legs. "Just like me… we have to call the police, Ziva…"

"NO! I don't want to end up like you, Jenny… on the streets, so sad and alone…" Ziva replied, beginning to cry. Jenny to took her up in her arms and began stroking her back. There was a long silence as Ziva let out all her pent up fear and sadness.

"I turn eighteen at the end of the month. For my birthday present, I'm going to adopt you from that home…" she pushed Ziva away, but held her at arm's length to look into her dark, sad eyes, "Can you be strong for me until then?"

Ziva sniffed and nodded. Abby was still appalled, "Ziva… really, if I'd known…"

"But you didn't. But you've been a good friend, putting up with me and my… fear of my father."

Abby looked over at the boys' school and saw that the boys were just getting out. The three girls sat in still silence for a minute as the schoolhouse emptied. Tim and Tony never came out, of course, since choir practice would begin in about twenty minutes, and Leroy and Ducky were the last ones to leave. They talked for a minute as they walked over to the apple tree. The two friends then hugged each other tightly before Ducky headed home. Ducky looked sadder than usual about leaving Leroy, but Leroy seemed to shrugged it off, sat down, and began writing in a small, leather-bound journal.

"Abby? We're going to visit Ari at his restaurant. I want to discuss their… living arrangements further and see if he's okay with my Birthday Plan," Jenny said. It sounded like she was nicknaming her adoption of Ziva.

_So Mission Impossible_, Abby thought. She looked longingly down at the apple tree before replying: "All right… I'll see you back at home, Ziva…" Abby said. They parted ways, and Abby made her way down to the apple tree to talk with Leroy.

~*~

_Ducky isn't allowed out of the house because of the insensitivities of the school system! Even this little private boys' school is suffering because teachers aren't taught compassion for students… if only these teachers were more like Ms. Todd… she understands when Jimmy isn't feeling quite up to playing his scales… at least that's what he says…_

"Leroy?"

The aforementioned boy snapped his journal shut and threw it in the grass when he was the look on Abby's face, "What wrong, Abs?" he asked, going up to her.

She flinched, as if she had been abused all her life, "I had a dream last night…" she finally said after a few moments of silence.

"About what?" Leroy asked. He looked… almost grossed out as he said it. _Oh no. Girly sexual fantasies…_ he thought as he remembered the other day, when the boys had expressed their sexual desires to him.

"Well… I was serving coffee to my father in the morning, but a mouse scurried across the floor. It startled me, and I spilled the coffee onto Dad's lap. He flew into a rage and slapped me across the face, and proceeded to beat me with a broomstick…" Abby said, trying to imagine what it would be like.

"Well, what do you think that means? Does your father… actually abuse you?" Leroy asked.

"_Ziva'sfatherabuseshereverynight!"_ Abby almost shrieked, before Leroy could finish his thought.

"I'm sorry, what?" Leroy asked, a worried look on his face.

Abby breathed in slowly, "She promised me not to tell the authorities… but you're not the authorities, so don't tell the authorities…" Abby babbled. Leroy nodded his head as he sorted out what could possibly be wrong with the girl in front of him.

"Ziva's father abuses her when Ari's not home. That's why she's always at my house. You can see all the bruises all over her body when she tries to defy her father…"

"Holy shit! Did you—"

"And Jenny is adopting her when she turns eighteen. Ziva and Jenny are in the same boat… or were… in Jenny's case."

"I know, but did you—"

"Please help me, Leroy!" Abby yelled, grasping his arms with her hands and nearly shaking him.

He paused and let the moment go on, even if Abby wasn't fully hugging him, "All right…" he said slowly, after a few tense moments had gone by.

"I want… I want to feel Jenny and Ziva's pain," she said, letting her hands down and searching the ground for something.

"What?" Leroy asked, his brain still fuzzy from when Abby had clutched him.

"Here," Abby said, picking up a stick, "Hit me with it."

"What? I don't do that kind of stuff!" Leroy shouted.

"Wimp," Abby said, her eyes fearful but determined.

"Fine," Leroy replied. He whacked her lightly.

"What was that? I could hardly feel it!" Abby said, this time closing her eyes.

Leroy sighed and whacked her again, harder.

"I still can't feel it," Abby replied through gritted teeth, for she really had felt it.

"Abby!" Leroy shouted, and suddenly hit her with the stick harder than he had been, "Don't make me hit you!" Rage consumed him and he began to beat her harder with the stick. She egged him on for a while, until she couldn't handle the pain and fell on the grass. Leroy stopped, panting hard. His eyes widened at what he had done. He dropped the stick and ran in the direction of an old barn that no one ever used anymore.

Abby lay on the ground, silently weeping. She didn't know why she had asked Leroy of all people to beat her like that. Maybe she was secretly a masochist. Then it hit her, she winced a bit, but remembered that Ziva and Jenny… it made her cry harder. When she was done, she sat up, checked herself for bruises: they were beginning to show, and then whispered to herself, "'It's okay, Ziva, I was just running around and not looking where I was going… I ran into some rogue trees behind the boys' school…'"

Lame excuse, but it would keep everyone off her aching back for a while.

Something suddenly caught her eye as she was pulling down her sleeves and making sure her pant legs were rolled down to cover the emerging bruises: it was the brown leather journal she had caught Leroy writing in before he had… accidently beaten her…

She picked it up and reached to open it, but thought better of it. She wanted to apologize to Leroy for making him beat her, and the journal would just be a perk. She slowly got up and limped to the abandoned barn.

~*~

_Ow! My heart hurt to write this chapter. I'm seriously weeping from writing this. God… why did I choose to write about such horrible things? Why? Oh well. Review, if you want. And thanks for reading this. If you don't want to continue, I understand._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	6. And Then There Were None

_A/N: Again, thanks so much for whatever support your giving me… even just reading this and putting on your Alerts is… wow. Thank you. And now for emo!Ducky! Okay… this is getting more and more painful… Who am I kidding? Onward?_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Six: And Then There Were None

~*~

It was Monday. Yes, that was the day. Ducky had just left the school grounds to go straight home, as he was instructed to do by both parents that morning. After having a long chat with Leroy on his way out, and then hugging his friend as if he would never see him again, Ducky made his sad way home, thinking about the pile of homework that had to be done once he was again thrown into his room and locked in. His mother wouldn't be telling him everything would be all right this time, Ducky thought sadly as he opened the door to his house, expecting the worst.

The worst was waiting for him. His father jumped up from his chair and grabbed Ducky once again by the collar, leading him up the stairs before he had the chance to say a simple, "I'm home!"

Once in the general safety of his room, Ducky sighed and moved the mouse of his computer. There were several emails for him, all from Leroy, except one: from Mrs. Gibbs. He clicked on it, ignoring the others, for they were probably pleas from Leroy not to do anything… drastic. He began reading the email.

_Dear Donald, _

_Your email was a shock, I must admit. I've never gotten an email from you saying, so boldly, that I am your only adult friend in the world. I know your parents, and I know that, particularly, your father is hard on you, but have hope. Your mother is still well I presume, and she is certainly a friend as well, I would hope, even if your father is not…_

_Even with these words, I cannot give you the money you requested. One ticket to England will not help you get through this summer class. I know it will be tough to pass this class with the sun shining, and Leroy already out of school, as well as your other friends, but I think that you can do it. Fleeing to England is certainly a silly notion. It's only two weeks more of school, isn't it?_

_But I can certainly email your father and tell him that you worked very hard in class, and though you did have some trouble staying awake these past few weeks, I know you worked very hard to understand what you missed. I can also tell them that though I have no husband, that does not mean that your friendship with Leroy has become the reason for your lapses in class. I know that is what you miss the most right now, and Leroy misses you as well._

_One thing that disturbed me about your email, though, was your… veiled threat that if you cannot run away to England, that you would take your own life…_

_But I digress. Your current situation does not affect you relationship with my son or me. We both still love you as if you were family._

_Love always, Elizabeth Gibbs_

Ducky sat back in his chair and sighed. _So much for running away_. He could have asked her to adopt him legally, or something, but then he would still have to see his parents. England had been his first choice, because he heard that his mother's sister lived there, but he had never met her before… But now that idea was out the window as well. Ducky sighed and looked over some of the other emails before remembering something he had stashed in his computer desk drawer the first time he had actually noticed that his father was… his father wasn't very nice to either him or his mother…

The shiny black barrel of the pistol smiled back at him as he lifted it up to his face. No… he couldn't do this here. As much as he hated his father, he didn't want his poor mother to have to suffer through to clean up whatever was left of him. He couldn't do this sadness anymore… he had to get away.

He opened the window and climbed down the tree that was outside his room. Maybe he would visit Leroy before he did his last deed… but then he saw Leroy trekking over to the abandoned barn, Abby soon following a few minutes later.

_Lucky…_ Ducky thought, before heading over to the public park, which was empty since Abby had left earlier to meet with Leroy. _At least I got to get one last look at Leroy before I leave this world…_ Ducky thought., wiping away a tear that had managed to escape from the corner of his eye.

~*~

A/N: _Oh man. I love to write, but I'm starting to get depressed with this one. Why, why did I choose to write this story? Anyway, I'm done whining about this. I actually am enjoying telling this story. Please review, if you get a chance, and thanks again for your support!_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	7. The Mirror Blue Night

A/N: _Well… at least this chapter is… lighter. Not that light, mind you, but sure beats what's been going on in the last few chapters. Onward!_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Seven: Part One: Mirror-Blue Night

~*~

Leroy climbed up a ladder into the hayloft. The hay smelled musty and crunched beneath his legs. To the bare skin on his hands the hay felt scratchy and dry. The barn hadn't been used since the summer anyway, and the planting season wasn't until the end of February, or the middle of March. Thunder raged above him, and rain tapped briskly on the wooden roof.

_Why? Am I a secret sadist? Or is the Universe just making me take out my feelings on an innocent girl… poor Abby… I should have at least apologized…_ Leroy thought.

He wondered if Ducky was okay for a brief moment. He knew. Leroy knew that Ducky's father wasn't in the best moods most days, and took it out on both Ducky and his mother. Maybe that's why he had taken his pent up anger out on Abby. He shouldn't have done it. He shook his head and let out a groan as he fell backwards on the dried hay.

Or maybe it was the fact that Ducky had to go to summer school, and the sadness Ducky felt was rubbing off on him. The anger that Ducky should have felt for the unfair school system, the unfair way of teaching teacher's to _teach_ and not to _forgive_. To _lie_ and to _hide_ things from the students.

Leroy closed his eyes for a brief moment, until he heard the barn door open. His eyes snapped open, but he calmed some as he heard it close again. _It's just the wind… Man, this storm is making me jumpy._ He thought, and closed his eyes once more.

~*~

Part Two: I Believe

~*~

Abby opened the door as slowly as she could, but as soon as she unlatched the door, the wind of the storm blew it open. She rushed in just as the wind shut the door briskly behind her. She clutched Leroy's journal to her chest and shivered. She was already wet from the downpour outside, and she hadn't thought to bring a coat, as the sun had been shining when she left the house with Jenny and Ziva. She latched the door so that the wind wouldn't blow into the barn and looked around, trying to look for Leroy, who she knew had come in earlier, shortly .

She heard a sigh from the hayloft, "Leroy?" she called, just loud enough for him to hear her.

His head peeked over the hay and down at her, "Abs?" he asked, blushing.

"Can I come up? I brought you your journal… you left it by the apple tree when you ran away…" Abby said, smiling to make Leroy see that he was somewhat forgiven.

He nodded and she climbed up the hay ladder next to the loft. He helped her into the hay, causing her to awkwardly fall on top of him. The journal fell from her hand and slid over, stopping by the wall. It was soon forgotten again.

"I… I'm really sorry I asked you to hit me. It was stupid, and I know you always have a lot of things on your mind that might affect your mood," Abby said, pushing herself off of Leroy and blushing.

He sat up and smiled calmly, "No, Abs, I'm sorry I took out my anger on you. I shouldn't have given in to my anger… especially on you. I'm sorry Jenny and Ziva have hard lives…" Leroy added as an after thought.

There was an awkward silence, each of them thinking about what it would be like to kiss one another. As they thought, they got nearer and nearer to one another. They touched hands again, sweetly. Leroy looked at Abby, who returned his gaze. Leroy leaned in and kissed her. She gave in and threw her arms around him. Leroy inched his hand down to the top button of Abby's jeans, but she pushed it away, almost playfully. He did this every once in a while, but she kept pushing the hand back.

They broke apart. Abby blushed crimson, and Leroy looked away shyly. Abby turned his face back to her after some thought, and began kissing him again. This time, when Leroy's hand went to her button, she allowed him to unbutton it and unzip her jeans. He stopped kissing her and she nodded. He undid his own pants and let them drop as he mounted her, pushing her into the hay below them.

Abby gasped as Leroy slipped inside her, but continued kissing him, enjoying the intimacy. Rain tapped on the roof, and the wind blew, but the storm was far away now, and it was only Leroy and Abby, kissing and holding each other, sharing a very intimate, almost sweet moment.

~*~

A/N: _I slightly sicken myself for not writing for a while (yes, I took a rather long break on this chapter). I can't write any 'intimacy' between a man and woman. Sorry. But, there you have it. Please review, if you find the time._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	8. The Guilty Ones

A/N: _Now that the sex is done, I can get on with... Oh God. We've gone from bad to worse. Again, I'm sorry in advance for this._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Eight: Part One: The Guilty Ones

~*~

Abby could still hear the wind in the trees. Leroy had a sudden sinking in his stomach. They were laying together, Abby's head on Leroy's bare chest, looking up at the rafters of the old barn.

"That was… that was amazing…" Abby finally said.

Leroy looked down at her and kissed her brow, "It was indeed…"

"Where did you learn to do… do that third move?" Abby asked, blushing madly as she remembered.

"A book… not really sure what it was called," Leroy replied calmly.

There was silence for a moment. Somehow, Leroy could tell that because something good had happened to him, something terrible was about to happen to someone he loved. It usually worked out like that. He slowly sat up, and Abby got up. He fished around in the dark for his pants, "What's wrong, Leroy?" Abby asked.

"I don't know. This was… this has been a whirlwind of a night, Abby… but I have to go… go check on Ducky," Leroy replied, buttoning his pants and buckling his belt. Abby remembered Jenny and Ziva, and reached over to grab her pants to put them back on.

"I should go see if Ziva and Jenny are okay…"

~*~

Jimmy was packing up to leave Ms. Todd's classroom. It sounded like Tim and Tony were done in the choir room, which was upstairs, and the piano up there had stopped ages ago. For some odd reason, Kate had wanted Jimmy to stay a little longer and play. Finally, she was allowing him to go home. She stood up when Jimmy had zipped up his bag and was beginning to stand.

"Good work today," she said awkwardly, touching his hand. They were about the same height now.

"Thank you, Ms. Todd," Jimmy replied, a slight stutter in his speech.

"Oh, please, Jimmy," Kate chided, "Call me Kate…"

She hugged him, and he relished the closeness, "What is all this for, K-Kate?" he asked.

"A little affection, Jimmy… You are my only 16-year-old student. And you've been with me for so long…" Kate said, biting her bottom lip. Then she did the improper: She kissed Jimmy on the lips. Jimmy was taken aback and parted with her quickly. _Shit! Why did I do that? I've been dreaming of this for ages, and now…_

And then it hit him. "I'm sorry, Ms. Todd… I can't do this. I need… I need to find someone my own age."

Kate's eyebrows furrowed, "Is it me?"

"No, no!" Jimmy replied quickly, when he saw a hint of a quiver in her bottom lip.

"Are you… are you like Mr. McGee?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting straight up.

_Did everyone in this town know McGee was gay before he told me about it?_ Jimmy shouted in his head. But he had no time to be hurt over his best friend not trusting him. He shook his head, "No… I… I like someone my own age," he lied quietly, and turned to leave. He didn't look back, but kept his head lowered, and his speed quick. Once outside the school, he bumped into someone. He looked up.

"James? James Palmer?" Ziva asked. She placed a hand under his chin and looked him over. He noticed a bruise had formed around her right eye, even though her hair was slightly covering it. She checked him over, touching his face to see if it was _him_ who was bruising.

"I'm… I'm fine, Ms. David…" Jimmy replied, blushing when he noticed that Ms. Todd was watching them through the window. Kate smiled sadly, and Jimmy remembered his lie. _Well… it's over, this crush on the youthful Ms. Todd…_ he thought.

"Just checking… you slammed pretty hard into me… what's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost!" Ziva cried, taking his hand.

Jimmy blushed madly and quickly pulled his hand away, "I… I have to go find Tim…"

"Ah! Have you seen Abby? Her parents are going insane with worry…" she said.

Jimmy shook his head and plowed on toward his street. Ziva watched him, and finally touched her hand to her heart, as if she had been wanting to touch the shy young pianist for a while…

~*~

Part Two: Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind

~*~

Ducky wandered the streets for a while. Dusk had settled, and Ducky just didn't want to shoot himself yet. Well… he _did_, but he wanted to talk to Leroy one last time. It looked as if that wouldn't happen. Leroy was still in the barn with Abby last he checked. Sighing, Ducky returned to the park and sat under a budding maple. He slowly drew out the gun from his belt and raised it to his head to shoot.

"Ducky? Ducky Mallard?" A voice called from above him. He dropped the gun and it was soon hidden from the figure above as she dropped down next to him.

"Jenny? You frightened me…" Ducky said, sadly.

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked.

"If… If I only knew…" Ducky replied.

"I was just about to go home… want to come?" Jenny asked after a moment, putting out her hand.

"I don't know…" Ducky said, allowing her to help him to his feet. The gun still was hidden.

"God… you remember how we used to run to my house to play pirates? Abby Sciuto, Leroy Gibbs, you and I?" Jenny asked, trying hard to cheer him up. She wanted him to come with her to her house and maybe… maybe just hold him… maybe more. She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. He was surprised for a moment, but he slowly allowed the kiss to take over. Then he remembered why he had come and broke away.

"Actually, I better not…" he said.

"Walk as far as my house with me…" Jenny said, taking his hand.

He jerked it away, "I wish I could…" he replied painfully.

Jenny looked down at her hands, "Then why don't you?"

Ducky looked, smiling, "French make-up, Math worksheet, and a paper on why the Axis Powers lost in World War II," he answered cheerfully, "It was Italy's fault."

Jenny smiled at his little after thought, but nodded and waved before running off in the direction of her house. Ducky suddenly felt funny in his stomach. _She was… She was asking me to her house to… to have sex! Dammit! I'll… I'll just have to die a virgin…_ Ducky picked up the gun, raised it once more, and pulled the trigger, first feeling blindly pain, and then… nothing.

~*~

"DUCKY!" Leroy shouted when he got to the park. He heard the gunshot and ran to the maple tree. There he saw Ducky, lying on the ground, almost peaceful, if it wasn't for the eyes glazed in sadness and death, and the blood coming from the side of his face. Leroy ran to the nearest pay phone and dialed quickly.

"Mom… call Mrs. And Mr. Mallard… Ducky's… Ducky's shot himself."

~*~

_I am ashamed of what I did. But just wait. It gets better. Then worse. Then better, then we end with hope. I hope. Anyway. Sorry Ducky… it was part of the plot to begin with. But you'll live forever in out hearts… and in the actual series. Ack. Ackackack._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	9. Left Behind

_A/N: Oi. Oioioi. Let's just start, okay? I'll think of something witty to say later, when I'm not totally depressed._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Nine: Left Behind

~*~

"Ducky had always been a sad soul… but I thought that he was happy. He had friends who loved him, and was doing so well, despite a few flaws," Mrs. Gibbs said. She was doing Ducky's eulogy, despite his father's arguments. Leroy was hardly paying attention, but he stood with his friends and the girls, and all the adults that had pushed his best friend to his death. Or was it him? He shouldn't have been with Abby… but… he should have… He didn't know.

His mother finished, and the small group nodded as she stepped down. The parents started to leave, but the children stayed. The gravediggers gave them a moment. Jenny dropped her rose into the hole, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," she said, and stepped back.

Ziva stepped forward, "Ducky… _Ducky_. Leroy told us everything. If you were still alive, I hope we could have been friends. I wish… I wish you were still alive, so I can tell you that, that we were in the same boat. You had _friends_, Ducky…" she dropped her rose into the hole and went to consolidate Jenny.

Abby came out from behind Leroy and dropped her rose into Ducky's grave, "I miss you, Duck. You were the best first mate a girl could have…" she said, smiling sadly.

Jimmy, Tim and Tony threw their roses into Ducky's grave, all saying nice words and trying to be manly in front of the girls, though Tim broke down as soon as he saw the coffin in the hole. Leroy noticed how Tony almost jumped at the prospect of comforting the poor boy, but in the end, Ziva and Jimmy were the ones to hug and consolidate the younger boy. And don't say that Leroy didn't see their eyes exchange looks of… something-or-other.

Finally, Leroy stepped up to the hole and looked down at the beech-wood coffin. He had told himself he would cry, but even now, he felt the hot, wet tears begin at the corners of his eyes. "Ducky… I don't know what to say to you. I'm disappointed in how you dealt with the sadness you felt. If I'd known you needed me… I wish I had… You'll always be in my heart, Ducky…I'm… I'm sorry." He threw his rose into the pit, and nodded to the gravediggers.

~*~

The small group of teenagers walked in silence from the graveyard. Tony and Tim parted from the group and began walking toward Tim's house, talking about a French test that Tim needed help with.

Jimmy went the other way. Tim and Tony might not have had choir practice (since it was only on school nights) but Jimmy still had a recital to practice for. It was still tense between him and Ms. Todd, but she often asked questions about Ziva to make up for her rude behavior. Plus the talks made Jimmy think more about Ziva, and he found himself thinking (and fantasizing) more about Ziva than Ms. Todd.

Jenny and Ziva went another way, toward Ari's restaurant. There were only three days until Jenny's birthday, and the Birthday Plan was speeding toward the finish line, a first place win if Abby ever saw one.

Abby didn't go with them, as she usually did. She wasn't feeling so good, and her mother was taking her to the doctor to get checked out. She kissed Leroy on his cheek and went to her house so she could change into more comfortable clothes before she jumped in the backseat of the family car to the hospital.

Leroy sighed and walked to the apple tree near his school. Many things had happened in the past two or three weeks. Secrets unraveled, love found and love lost. He was worried about Abby, but happy that Tim and Tony were finding each other, that Jimmy and Ziva were finding each other, and that Jenny was working so hard to protect Ziva.

Despite Ducky's death, Leroy felt like the world was looking up. And yet, once again, his stomach lurched, and he knew something bad was about to happen. Usually when he felt good, something would happen that would dash his hopes like a pirate ship on a rocky cliff during a storm…

~*~

_Hmmm… short chapter. And somewhat of a cliff-hanger. I'll throw you a rope if you review… More to come shortly (though I'm busy the next few days, so the next chapter might be slow coming.)_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	10. Totally Fucked

_A/N: Two semi-light-hearted chapters next. And then it will get sad again. And then happy. And then… and then I'm done. Remind me not to do anything like this again…_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Ten: Totally Fucked

~*~

Monsieur Le Toux (A/N: _Been a while, I know._) was waving the boys in what seemed like an endless stream of French phrases. They had all bombed their French tests (excluding Masters DiNozzo and McGee), and so there would be no conversational French that day. (Tim and Tony were in the corner, having a lovely conversation in French about movies.)

Leroy tried to tell Monsieur Le Toux that they had been at a funeral the day before, but the flamboyant teacher just tutted and shook his head, muttering about how studying French could make even a crying kid happy, and started conducting the boys in his monotonous, French symphony.

Until Principal Vance stepped into the room. Then the room fell silent. All eyes were on Vance. Little Ms. Todd was behind him, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Mallard.

"Leroy Gibbs?" the principal said after clearing his throat.

The four adults moved to the front of the room. Leroy stood up slowly and approached them. Mr. Mallard drew a long breath in, and then took something out of his briefcase. It was the sex essay Leroy had written for Ducky (and the rest of his boys). Tim, Tony and Jimmy took in silent breaths as they noticed Leroy's name and the date were centered on the top of the first page. They looked at each other from across the room, and then looked at the spectacle in front of them.

"This is an _abomination_," Mr Mallard said slowly, "This is what really drove my son to kill himself…"

Principal Vance pushed him aside, "It really is a piece of filth, young man… I have called your mother, and she has_ given in_ to the idea of sending you to military school. The bus leaves for the Richmond base in a week. After Mr. Mallard is done speaking to you, you may pack your bag and leave. You are hereby expelled, Mr. Gibbs."

He left, leaving a seething Mr. Mallard behind. Mrs. Mallard took Ms. Todd's hand and squeezed it as Mr. Mallard began: "_You rat bastard!_ Teaching my boy about _sex_? I knew you were a bad influence on him! You and that _bitch_ you call a mother. I only allowed you two to hang out together because my _wife_ told me you would be a good influence, but _fuck_ she was _fucking wrong!_"

Mr Mallard breathed in. Leroy sighed and replied, "I guess you're right. Everything is my fault and I deserved every word said to me today."

Mr. Mallard sighed happily, grabbed his wife roughly, and left. Ms. Todd looked to Mr. Le Toux warily and followed them quietly.

~*~

Monsieur Le Toux let Leroy out of the classroom, along with Tony, Tim and Jimmy, since they all pleaded in perfect French. "You… you took all that? Not a word about how it was natural to wonder about the human condition?" Tony asked.

Leroy opened his locker and took out all his books and placed them in his school bag. He walked briskly to the door outside, the boys still following him.

"That's not the Leroy _I_ know," Jimmy put in.

Leroy turned to them briskly, "I would've, but Mr. Mallard if a bad man to get angry, as you saw. This is where I say goodbye."

"But you have a week!" Tony cried.

Leroy looked at him and put out his hand, "I'll be most likely staying at home and consoling my mother… and perhaps Abby," he put in. Tony took his hand, but pulled Leroy in to an awkward man-hug. Leroy patted the boy's back and moved on to Jimmy. Jimmy went in for the man-hug. Leroy smiled as he finally figured out that he had _friends_. If only Ducky had realized this…

Leroy parted from Jimmy, and looked down at Tim. Tim looked up at him, trying to be strong as he put out his hand. Finally the young boy couldn't handle it and rushed in to give Leroy a tearful hug. Tim buried his head into the older boy's shoulder, "Who's gonna protect us from Monsieur Le Toux? Who's gonna let us talk about our fears and worries and not laugh at us?" he cried into the shoulder.

Leroy wrapped his arms around the younger boy and allowed the younger male to cry, "You still have each other, guys… and you have Jenny and Ziva…" he looked at Jimmy when he said the latter girl's name. He blushed and covered the bottom half of his face.

"I have to go home now…" Leroy said, peeling Tim away from him. It was harder than he had initially thought, so Leroy pushed Tony into the spot where he used to be. Tim jumped away from the other boy as he realized that it wasn't Leroy he was hugging anymore. Leroy nodded to his group, and then left. They watched him go.

Jimmy sighed as he went to go back into the schoolhouse. Tony looked to Tim, "Umm… meet me in the vineyard at eight… we have a Trig test tomorrow, and I know you've been struggling," Tony said, his voice once again slow and silky. He followed Jimmy into the building, and Tim was soon behind him, still looking back where Leroy had left…

~*~

_OMG. So excited for the next chapter. Hope this chapter was… happier. Or lighter. Or whatever… You should still review. Hint, hint._

_And the next chapter, I know, has to be perfect, so I'm not sure when it'll be out. I'm also at my mother's, and I haven't seen her for a while. Please be patient... (I will too...)  
_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	11. The Word Of Your Body Reprise

_A/N: … Calm down, people. We have to get through one more chapter before you can figure out what's wrong with Abby… just enjoy this chapter, because this is going to be FUN._

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Eleven: The Word of Your Body (Reprise)

~*~

Tim had no idea why he was nervous. It wasn't as if Tony hadn't been helping him in school for the past year. But ever since Tony had begun to plague Tim's fantasies, he got nervous around the older boy. Tony's look was almost _predatory_ toward him. And whenever Tim was around the others (Jimmy, in particular) Tim saw Tony tense up. It was like… it was like Tony wanted the younger boy all to himself…

Tim was reminded of the look Tony had given him when he had opened his eyes to Tony standing there instead of Leroy. Tim had scrambled out of Tony's arms, and Tony looked… _hurt_, all through the rest of French class and into Math… and choir practice? Tony didn't even speak to him. Tim wondered how tense this study session would be.

Tim twitched. The stars were out, and in the fading sunlight, the lights of the town looked so… magical. Jimmy and him had parted at the school before Jimmy scrambled home, and Tim merely walked to the vineyard and plopped down in front of the first row of grape vines. Tim looked out towards the town and twitched once more. _Where is he?_

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Tim jumped and turned his whole body in surprise. It was Tony, who was crouching down in front of him (what used to be _behind_ him, the little creep). Tony's grin was that same predatory grin Tim had been seeing for the past few weeks. Tim backed up slightly and took out a book.

"Hey… Tony… so, um… you remember SOHCAHTOA, don't you?" Tim said nervously.

"It's so… peaceful here…" Tony said, as if he hadn't heard the younger boy. He moved so that his legs were under him and his gaze went up to the stars.

Tim felt himself calm down, and he smiled, "Yeah… sometimes I come here and just… pretend that I'm a country shepherd, with my white sheep baa-ing. The other girls and boys sometimes come and play around me… but usually it's just me and my sheep…"

Tony stared at him for a few minutes. "You can't be serious," he finally said. Tim gasped and looked up from the grass he had been staring dreamily at.

"What? But I am!" Tim exclaimed.

"Oh my god, Tim… you're such a sentimentalist… I think I've finally figured out what genre you would be…"

Tim stared at him for a moment, "What?"

"Well… I've been trying to figure out who everyone is, using the movie genres stereotypes," Tony replied, "I've figured that Leroy in an action movie: all gut reactions and mindless violence, Jimmy is fantasy, all plot and all special effects, and me? I'm a drama. I can move you to tears, or make you laugh out loud if I want…"

"And who am I, then?" Tim asked.

"The romantic comedy, of course," Tony replied, his voice and smile starting to scare the younger boy.

"Then what about, what about Ari, or—" Tim struggled to keep the conversation going before Tony leaned in and kissed him, either because he wanted to, or he wanted the younger boy to shut up. Tim pushed him away, "Oh, God…"

Tony's eyes were closed, and he was smiling that predatory grin again, "I know…" When Tim wouldn't answer, Tony opened his eyes and saw that Tim was crouching away from him, his hand over his mouth. Tony moved closer to the younger boy and took his hands, "When we look back, tonight will seem so unbelievably… beautiful…"

"And… in the meantime?" Tim asked incredulously.

Tony's smile became soft as he replied, "Why not?"

He shifted so that he was close to the other boy, and he once again leaned down to meet his lips with the younger boy's. Tim moved in to the older boy's embrace. When they came up for air, Tim looked at Tony with an incredulous expression.

"On my way here this evening, I thought we were just going to study…"

Tony looked a little disappointed, "So are you sorry we—"

Tim stopped him, "Oh no! No! I love you, Tony! As I have never loved anyone!"

Tony leaned down for another kiss, "And so you should…"

They shared another kiss, before Tony finally shifted closer and picked up the Trigonometry book.

~*~

_THREE more chapters. Sorry this one was a bit late. I took a short break from writing, but wound up writing anyway (yesterday), and it was the wrong story altogether, so my brain was fried for the night._

_Please review!_

_Aeron Ailsa_


	12. Whispering

_A/N: Okay… I lied. After this, I only have one chapter left. (YES!) I decided to put together two of the chapters that were going to be separated… makes more sense this way ^^ …Now I'm going to make myself cry:_

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

~*~

Chapter Twelve: Part One: Whispering

~*~

"_Mrs. Sciuto, you're daughter is… she's pregnant."_

That's what the doctor had told them. She and her mother had come home and she was immediately grounded. But she couldn't be! It wasn't Jenny's birthday yet, and if Ziva had to go home that night Abby would feel guilty all night. But… her mother wanted to know who the father was, and Abby wouldn't tell, lest she get Leroy in trouble along with her. She had heard he was going to military school come Monday, (that was all her father told her before her mother sent her to her room) because of some essay they found that wasn't appropriate for a boy his age to write.

"Adults are… hard to understand," Abby whispered to her stuffed hippo.

He only gazed back at her. She gave him a squeeze and continued her monologue:

"And… and they lie to you. Mom lied to me about how babies are made! I can't believe it. Was it so hard to say that something so sweet and… and frightening would create something like this!" she touched her stomach, "I… I have to tell Leroy about this!"

She scrambled to her desk and found a piece of notebook paper and a pen and she began writing him a letter, "This will be fine… I'll just tell him what's going on, give this note to someone and he can deal with it how he does, all macho, and…" she put her head on the desk and began to cry.

There was a soft knock on her door, and her mother entered, "Honey… I know you won't tell us who the father is, but you won't have to… are you okay?" Mrs. Sciuto asked.

"I'm fine," was the teenager's mumble into the soft wood of her desk.

"Honey… I've… I've set up an appointment to get you an abortion…"

Abby looked up, but covered the name she had written on her note, "What? What is that?"

"They're going to take the… take the unborn child out of you, so you can live your life as a normal teenager, and _then_ you can make these… these choices to be a mother…" Mrs. Sciuto replied.

Abby calmed herself, feeling defeated. "Okay."

~*~

Part Two: Those You've Known

~*~

"Hi, Leroy," Tim had a pained look on his face as he looked around his friend's house.

"What's up?" Leroy asked.

Tim stalled for a moment, then put his arm around Leroy's waist, "I know you leave tomorrow, but there's something I want to show you… you haven't been out of the house, so you might've… not… heard…"

They took a slow walk down to the place Tim wanted Leroy to see. On the way, they talked about the latest news in the town. Leroy was glad to hear that Tim and Tony had started dating, but every time Leroy asked about Abby, Tim would make a pained sound and turn away from Leroy while he regained some composure.

Tim finally made them stop in front of a freshly covered grave. Leroy looked at Tim incredulously, and then looked at the inscription on the gravestone. _Here lies Abby Sciuto, daughter and friend_.

Leroy stared at the inscription shocked. Then he turned to Tim and growled, "Go."

Tim stepped back to leave, but stopped himself, "Wait… Abby wanted me to give this to you…" he said, handing the older boy a piece of paper and then fleeing the graveyard.

Leroy read the note:

_Dear Leroy, I'm sorry this note is late coming, but I am pregnant, and I believe the baby is ours. I had hoped you would be here when the baby is born, but I heard that you were in some trouble and you wouldn't be around much longer. I'm sorry, but I hope you can one day come home and meet your child. All my love, Abby._

Leroy once again looked at the gravestone, and noticed in the corner of his eye that she had been buried by Ducky's grave. He stood in between the two graves and began to weep. Once his eyes had been cried dry, he found a razor in his jacket. He remembered that he had been on his way out to fetch more razors of that kind for his mother (who was fixing up the house). He put the blade to his chest, but something stopped him. A pale, glowing hand.

He looked up into the eyes of Abby, "No, Leroy…"

"But I want to be with you, Abby!" Leroy shouted, not quite believing his eyes.

"Don't make the same mistake I did, Leroy," another familiar voice said from the other side of him. Ducky's spirit was sitting on his own gravestone, and as Leroy recognized him, the ghost got up and helped Leroy to his feet, "You remembered after my funeral that you had friends, right?"

Leroy nodded, "But you guys are so much… closer to me!"

"Yes, but we need someone to tell our story," Abby said.

"What?" Leroy asked.

"No one knows the true reason why we died, Leroy… because of the lies the adults told us, the hardships they forced on us," Ducky said, "Leroy, only you can preach these faults to the others. They'll believe you…"

Leroy looked at them both, then at the razor. He dropped it on the ground and hugged first Abby's spirit, then Ducky's. Then he breathed in slowly, and left the graveyard.

When he looked back, the sprits had disappeared. He sighed, and walked back to his house, as he had to leave for Richmond in the morning.

~*~

_One last chapter, my dears, and it will all end in hope, I promise._

… _and I promise I'll have more tearful goodbyes next chapter._

_Aeron Ailsa_


	13. The Song Of Purple Summer

_A/N: Last chapter of this fic, guys… it was fun, despite all the tricky themes._

~*~

Epilogue: The Song Of Purple Summer

~*~

Leroy was a little nervous when he stepped off the bus. It had been fifteen years since he had last seen his tiny town. Maybe all of his old friends were gone, with children and families in bigger cities… or maybe, Leroy had the feeling that, they would see each other once more, and Leroy could feel free from his past, and he could finally move on…

He walked passed his old house, where sign still stood that said 'For Sale.'

His mother had moved on to a nursing home in Richmond. He walked passed the graveyard. He saw the graves of his best friend and his girlfriend, and quickly averted his eyes. He hadn't yet moved passed the deaths. He finally found his way to his school. There were Ziva and Jimmy, looking above them, and talking, it seemed, to the branches above them.

"A splendid crop of apples will come in the summer, won't they?" Leroy asked, grinning at his friends. They hadn't changed a bit appearance-wise. Jenny suddenly dropped down from the tree.

"Hello, Leroy," she said, smiling.

"What are you guys doing?" Leroy asked.

"Here? Or elsewhere?" Jimmy asked.

"Both… it's been fifteen years since I last saw you," Leroy said. Ziva and Jenny both hugged him, and Jimmy shook his hand.

"We all came here from Richmond. Ziva is an assistant librarian, and I am head librarian. Jimmy has been training to be a concert pianist," Jenny told him.

"We were here to meet up with Tim and Tony, who live up in New York right now," Jimmy told him.

"Tony has a break from his role as Hanschen in _Spring Awakening_, and Tim thought it would be a good idea to come meet with us and reminisce… oh! They both are NYU teachers. Tim is the Computer Science teacher, and Tony, of course, is the Drama teacher there," Ziva said.

"Are they still… partners?" Leroy asked.

"Of course we are," Tony said, hugging Leroy from behind suddenly.

Tim came from the front and hugged them both, "Did you get my email, then?" he asked, "I never sent one to you, but you are a Marine…"

"Marines don't deal with computers, Tim," Leroy replied, "But I had a feeling I would see you guys… is that an engagement ring on your finger, Ziva?"

"Jimmy proposed yesterday," Ziva replied, blushing as she looked at the purplish-blue stone on her right ring finger.

Leroy noticed the matching bands on Tony's and Tim's right hands, he smiled at them, "Congratulations to you all…"

"Thanks," the two couples replied, smiling.

Leroy looked behind him toward the graveyard, and Jenny pushed passed Ziva and Jimmy, "Come, Leroy, let's take a walk and leave the couples for a moment…"

Leroy obliged, and followed Jenny down the road to the graveyard.

~*~

"We miss them too," Jenny said, as she sat in between Abby's and Ducky's graves. Leroy shuffled toward her, and then nervously sat next to the girl, "I came here often after you left, and sometimes Ziva would come with me. Then the adoption request was waved, and we high-tailed it to Richmond."

"You moved on, then?" Leroy asked.

Jenny smiled, "Yes… and I know you never really had time…" she gestured to the graves and nodded at him.

He got up and went first to Abby's grave, "Abby… it's me, Leroy. I know its been a couple of years since we last spoke, but… I'm here to finally say goodbye. I'm sorry that you had to die… but I promise you, I will move on and not let your death bother me anymore…"

He moved silently over to Ducky's grave, "Ducky… Ducky, Ducky, Ducky. You were my best friend since you moved here. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you the night you died, but I know you wouldn't want me to wallow. So I say goodbye to you, though I know your spirit will live on in my heart…"

There was a silence, and Jenny finally came up from behind him, "Feel better?"

"Yeah…" Leroy replied.

He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled, "We better get back to the others…"

Leroy nodded, "Thank you, Jenny…"

Jenny nodded, took his hand, and led him back to the others.

~*~

_(comes up for air) OH MY GOD! All right, I'm going to write fluff from now on. Thank you all for you support and for reading this. I hope to see you all on my future fics, in which I will try not to kill off characters._

_Aeron Ailsa_


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